Cutthrough Ventures

Cutthrough Ventures is a prominent Australian entity dedicated to illuminating the venture capital and startup ecosystem through comprehensive data, insights, and strategic collaborations. Founded in 2021 by Chris Gillings, the organisation initially emerged as a monthly newsletter, rapidly expanding its reach to over 20,000 subscribers globally by late 2022. This early success underscored a significant market demand for reliable, localised startup funding information, a niche not adequately served by international platforms. The evolution of Cutthrough Ventures saw it transition from a pure newsletter format to an 'always-on' free startup funding dashboard complemented by quarterly publications and in-depth annual reports, thereby solidifying its position as Australia's most trusted source for venture capital data.

The core mission of Cutthrough Ventures is to empower Australian startups to achieve global success. They accomplish this by providing accurate, data-backed insights into the local ecosystem, ensuring that both domestic and international stakeholders recognise the exceptional work of Australian founders. Their offerings include detailed analyses of funding trends, deal flow, market conditions, sector performance, and investor and founder sentiment. A key differentiator is their commitment to rigorous data collection, which now incorporates innovative methods such as AI interviewing tools, enabling them to gather insights from a broad spectrum of ecosystem participants, including venture capitalists, accelerators, and founders.

Beyond data dissemination, Cutthrough Ventures actively fosters innovation and growth within the Australian startup community through strategic partnerships and its angel investing syndicate, Cut Through Angels. This syndicate, co-founded by Chris Gillings, provides early-stage startups with access to capital and invaluable support, leveraging an extensive network of over 400 members. It offers angel investors the opportunity to co-invest alongside top Australian funds with industry-low minimum investment thresholds, making venture-quality opportunities more accessible. The organisation focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage investments, aiming to deliver value beyond just capital through its deep industry connections.

Leadership at Cutthrough Ventures is spearheaded by its founder, Chris Gillings, who is also an investor at Five V Capital, a venture capital firm focusing on B2B software at Series A and B stages. His dual role provides a unique perspective, combining deep market analysis with direct investment experience, which enriches the content and strategic direction of Cutthrough Ventures. The entity's commitment to supporting founders is further demonstrated through initiatives like 'We Have Dry Powder', a free tool designed to help founders connect with suitable investors. By providing essential market intelligence and facilitating capital connections, Cutthrough Ventures plays a critical role in nurturing the growth and maturation of the Australian startup ecosystem.